10 Terrifying Facts About Soft Drinks That Will Make You Stop Drinking Them Instantly

Last Updated on 2023-05-10 , 10:42 am

Soft drinks are great, especially in Singapore’s sweltering weather. There’s no better feeling than cracking open a refreshing, ice-cold can of Coke after a long run, right?

Wrong.

Soft drinks may be a great thirst-quencher, but we all know they’re bad for us. However, the effect they have on your health may be worse than you think.

Destroys your DNA

Sounds like clickbait, huh? But it’s true.

One can of soda a day can destroy your DNA.  An American Journal of Public Health article, states that one can of soda a day will lead to telomeres in white blood cells becoming shorter.

Telomeres are DNA that protect chromosomes, and when they become too short, the cell can no longer divide successfully, so it dies. This means that age-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes are more likely to occur.

Weight Gain

No more soda for you. Not even diet soda. One soda a day is an extra 35 pounds of sugar in your body – how do you think you get diabetes? All that sugar will end up as an annual 15 pounds of fat. Diet soda? They help healthy-weight adults maintain their weight while eating less, but obese adults would see it as an option to eat more, causing there to be an imbalance anyway.

Plus, sugar substitutes in diet soda may not be the best for your body either. For example, the artificial sweetener aspartame, used in a ton of diet sodas, has studies linking its consumption to behavioural and cognitive problems, as well as headaches, seizures, and migraines.

Heartburn

A painful burning feeling is your chest means heartburn (acid reflux) is upon you, and you can blame your drink for that. The burping and reflux attacks caused from the acidity won’t be very comfortable too.

Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death around the world, and it’s no wonder why.

These popular, sugar-sweetened beverages have a higher chance of causing heart attacks or stroke. How much higher? Studies state that this number’s a whopping 40%— would you really keep risking your life for your ‘favourite’ drink?

Kidney Stones

Soda can cause kidney stones, which are incredibly painful and expensive to extract. Studies conducted by the US National Library of Medicine show that a higher percentage of those who consume sugar-sweetened soda and punch develop kidney stones. The conclusion? Stick to coffee, tea, or juice (100% sugar bubble tea doesn’t count).

Diabetes

People who drink these sugar-sweetened beverages daily have about a 25% higher chance of developing Type 2 diabetes, compared to those who only drink it once a month or not at all. There is also a 20% higher chance of metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes.

Infertility

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in aluminium that affects the reproductive system—no prizes for guessing what packaging your canned drink comes in.

The BPA in the can liner of an aluminium can may leak into the drink, causing potential reproductive issues.

Dental Decay

Your tooth enamel may decay and dissolve to look like one of those drug addicts. That’s right, heavy consumption of soda everyday will cause your teeth to be as damaged as if you were a chronic abuser of methamphetamines or crack cocaine.

Fixing your teeth is expensive, and that’s not a pretty look.

Wrinkles

These drinks can accelerate your aging process, causing wrinkles at a younger age. You don’t see those beautiful and healthy people drinking soda everyday, do you?

Money

These drinks tend to cost around the same as a kopi, teh, or water. Plenty of money you could be saving if you make your own coffee, tea or water at home instead of storing a fridge full of soda—with the rising cost of living, saving money is a must.

Also, you’ll hopefully burn less money on doctors because you’ll be less likely to contract any of the problems that soda brings you in the future.